Basketball Intelligence For 5/29/25
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Anthony Edwards was aggressive
Henry Abbott, True Hoop
WCF
Thunder defense did it again, carrying OKC to NBA Finals
Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman
Young Thunder are ready for their NBA Finals moment
Tony Jones, The Athletic
Anthony Edwards was aggressive
Henry Abbott, True Hoop
Everyone was wrong; it didn't work
Yes, the key to NBA play is often to be aggressive, but we’re good on that. What’s in short supply is being aggressive while making non-stop masterful reads at both ends, and while seeing the rim clearly, and while being generous helping teammates at both ends. It’s a sport of young men who often improve by being less drunk on testosterone.
Thunder earn trip to NBA Finals with rout of Wolves
The Athletic
OKC eliminates Minnesota in one-sided Game 5 blowout
Dustin Brewer, Hoops Daily
Five takeaways from Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals
Sean Keane, Yardbarker
Timberwolves’ season ends with humbling loss
Chris Hine, Star Tribune
2025 Thunder looking like mirror image of 2015 Warriors as they set sights on first NBA championship
Brad Botkin, CBS Sports
Timberwolves’ season ends in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals — again
Chris Hine, Star Tribune
Timberwolves’ Game 5 meltdown threatens to overshadow impressive season
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
Anthony Edwards vows improvement as Timberwolves eliminated
Dave McMenamin, ESPN
Thunder Poised To Disrupt NBA's Push For More Parity
Bryan Toporek, Forbes
The NBA Finals-bound Thunder are here to stay
Sam Amick, The Athletic
Graduation Day: The Thunder walk the aisle
Paul Flannery, Hoopology
Thunder Are Lapping the Field at a Historic Rate in One Crucial Stat During Playoffs
Karl Rasmussen, Sports Illustrated
Timberwolves blasted in Game 5
Jace Frederick, Pioneer Press
ECF
The Pacers Will Kill You With Weirdness
Danny Chau, The Ringer
The Pacers’ elite offense is powering their Playoffs run, and the numbers are jarring
Mookie Alexander, SBNation
Tyrese Haliburton has been the star of the Pacers show, but the entire Indiana offense has been an unsolvable puzzle in the NBA Playoffs
Knicks Pushed to the Edge
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric
While the Pacers responded appropriately, playing like their season was on the line, it was actually the Knicks who were down in the series and desperately needed the victory. Instead, they came out flat. The 43 points New York gave up in the first quarter of Game 4 tied a franchise record for most points allowed in any quarter of any playoff game.
"We didn't match their pace and their inspiration, too," Karl-Anthony Towns said after the loss. "We just didn't match what they came to do tonight to start the game, and in true fashion to our whole playoff run, we put ourselves in a deficit, got ourselves out of the deficit and usually, we feel good about us in a close game going into the fourth quarter and showing our resilience. But you get burned if you put yourself in that position too many times."
Mitchell Robinson echoed similar sentiments. "They played with more intensity," Mitch Rob said. "We should've matched it."
Thibs noted his team started the third quarter "without great energy," adding, "We gotta make sure we play with the proper approach and intensity and force."
Mikal Bridges flat-out admitted that the Pacers "just played harder than us… they came out with more fire."
These are alarming comments. This wasn't some random, snowy night in February on the back end of a back-to-back. This was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
What's at stake in whatever is left of New York's season
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School
The Knicks have a problem — and it’s too late to solve it
Kristian Winfield, Daily News
The Knicks miscast a key player — and it’s showing at the worst time
Atticus O’Brien Pappalardo
WATCH: What is Jalen Brunson’s basketball superpower? His brakes
Fred Katz, The Athletic
How Mikal Bridges Became The NBA’s Iron Man In The Load Management Era
Tim Casey, Forbes
LEAGUEWIDE
The Thunder and Pacers have one big thing in common on brink of 2025 NBA Finals
Ricky O’Donnell. SBNation
these are the two best teams in the league at avoiding turnovers on offense, and it’s giving them an undeniable edge they’re riding to a likely NBA Finals berth.
What Each Team Must Fix During 2025 NBA Offseason
Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report
The NBA All-Star fraternity forged by trash talk — and the antagonist holding them together
Jared Weiss, The Athletic
NBA's cycle of superteams has been dismantled. Owners wanted parity and got it.
Dan Woiken, USA Today
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